Karine Jean-Pierre was appointed as the new White House press secretary by President Joe Biden on Thursday.
She most recently served as the deputy press secretary and deputy assistant to Biden.
Here are five things you need to know about Jean-Pierre.
Changing the status quo
Biden’s appointment brings some diversity into the White House. Jean-Pierre will serve as the first Black and openly gay press secretary.
Early life
Jean-Pierre was born in Martinique, Haiti. Her family then immigrated to New York City, where she was raised in Queens. In 2003, she earned a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University.
Prior experience
The newest press secretary has worked on multiple presidential campaigns. She was chief of staff for Kamala Harris in 2020, deputy campaign manager for the 2016 presidential campaign of former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and contributed to both of Barack Obama’s bids for presidency.
Other work
Jean-Pierre has also worked at her alma mater as a faculty member and as a senior adviser and national spokesperson at MoveOn. In 2019, she published a book, Moving Forward: A Story of Hope, Hard Work, and the Promise of America.
Continuing the trend
Jean-Pierre is the latest in a recent string of female press secretaries. The Trump administration saw Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Stephanie Grisham and Kayleigh McEnany hold the title, before Biden elected Jen Psaki.
